The 17,368 capacity Pino Zaccheria stadium, the home field of Foggia soccer team located in Italy’s south-eastern Apulia region (nicknamed the Red and Black Devils of the South), recently underwent an in-depth upgrade in order to meet the latest specifications for the country’s Serie B (the equivalent of the second division). The work included a new sound reinforcement system, supplied by Centro Cultura Musicale.
Designed using Outline Open Array 3D software by the company’s senior system engineer Francesco Ferretti, the system is used to play recorded music before matches, announcements, publicity, team line-ups, announcements for the substitution of players, safety announcements, etc.
The upper tier of the roofed west stand is covered by six Outline Vegas 12 CX two-way, full-range coax speaker enclosures installed under the roof. The same format is used with four more Vegas 12 CX for the lower tier, installed under the upper tier of the stand.
The lower tier of each of the north and south curves is covered by four Vegas 12 CX installed under the upper tier, and the lower tier of the open air east stand seating features six Vegas 12 CX mounted below the upper tier.
The upper tier of the seating on the each of the curves’ and the open air stand are covered by four Stadia 100-30 long-throw DPRWG loudspeaker systems. Each curve has a Stadia mounted on one of the ground’s lighting pylons and the stand has two mounted over the centre of the main stand’s roof.
The Outline powerhouse for the entire set-up comprises four T Five-DSP 2-channel PWM power amplifiers and four M5000-4 4-channel PWM amps and the complete system is controlled by four of Outline’s iP24 multi-function DSP processors.
Outline loudspeakers were also installed outside the pitch, in the turnstile zone, in the form of six Eidos 15 two-way full-range enclosures, powered by an Outline M5000-4 four-channel PWM power amplifier.
The system was designed and tested by senior system engineer and technical support specialist Francesco Ferretti and Outline R&D Engineer and Tech Support staffer Giulio Gandini.
As well as the new PA system, the ground’s upgrade also included a new lighting system for night matches, electricity generators and contemporary seating. Beyond meeting the new safety regulations, new booths and facilities were added for broadcast coverage, as well as upgrades being made to the offices, dressing rooms and turnstiles.
Augusto Rinaldi of Centro Cultura Musicale stated: “The sound reinforcement system is particularly effective thanks to its clear sound as well as ensuring that there is no sound spill into the surrounding zones. The set-up’s user-friendliness is definitely the icing on the cake and the public has appreciated and acknowledged the results, which exceeded all of our expectations.”
